1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine including a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recent slot machine including stop buttons or a so-called pinball slot machine (a so-called “Pachi-Slot machine” in Japan) has a variable display means provided with a plurality of rotatable reels for variably displaying symbols in a front display window. As the player performs start operation, control means controls the variable display means for rotating the reels, thereby producing variable display of symbols. Then, the rotating reels are stopped in order automatically in a given time or as the player performs stop operation. At this time, if the symbols on the reels appearing in the display window become a specific combination (winning symbol combination), game medium such as medals and coins are paid out to the player as the prize of the win.
The currently predominant pinball slot machine has a display window for the player to visually check symbols on reels on the front of the machine and a liquid crystal display for displaying an effect image concerning game play on a side of, below, or above the display window (namely, a position not overlapping the display window from the viewpoint of the player). Such a liquid crystal display generally is provided with a backlight for the liquid crystal display implemented as a cold-cathode tube for producing sharp display.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the front to show a part of a pinball slot machine in a related art. In FIG. 13, display windows 9004 (9004L, 9004C, and 9004R) are provided in front of a plurality of reels 9003 (9003L, 9003C, and 9003R) on which a plurality of symbols are arranged, so that the player visually checks the symbols placed on the reels 9003 through the display windows 9004. BET lamps 9009 for indicating which of pay lines in the horizontal direction (top line, center line, and bottom line) and pay lines in slanting directions (cross down line and cross up line) is activated are provided on one side of the display window 9004. A medal insertion slot 9022 for the player to insert a medal, BET switches 9011, 9012, and 9013 operated by the player to make the pay line activated, and a display 9005 for displaying an image concerning game play are provided below the display windows 9004.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a backside of the door to show a part of the gaming machine in the related art. In FIG. 14, a control circuit board 9530 is attached through a board support member 9520 to one side of and below the display windows 9004 (9004L, 9004C, and 9004R). The control circuit board 9530 is provided for performing display control of the BET lamps 9009 and the display 9005 and any other control; various circuits 9531 to 9539 are installed on the control circuit board 9530.
Generally, reel backlights implemented as white light emitting diodes are provided for illuminating the symbols on the reels from behind to project the symbols onto the display windows.
The above structure is disclosed in JP-A-2001-353255 (see page 2 and FIG. 2).